August 2020
Safe Return to Work
Welcome Welcome to the August edition of the e-bulletin which this month has a focus on Safe Return to Work. During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the government have encouraged people to work at home if they are able. However, we are now at the stage where we are being advised that we can return to work if it is safe to do so. This e-bulletin looks at how organisations are supporting their employees to return to work safely and the measures that should be in place to enable that to happen. Public Health Network Cymru is hosted by the Wider Determinants of Health Unit team and is part of the Health and Wellbeing Directorate of Public Health Wales. The team continues to work from home while the organisation follows government guidance in preparing the workplace for the safe return of its staff. We have recently hosted two COVID-19 related webinars. These can be viewed on our Past Events page. Over the coming months we will be delivering more webinars so watch this space for further details. In the meantime if there are any topic areas you would like to see covered related to COVID-19 please contact us. We would love to hear about any additional information, case studies or tips to share with the wider public health community in Wales in future e-bulletins and our website so please get in touch with us at publichealth.network@wales.nhs. uk.
Contact us You can contact Public Health Network Cymru in a variety of ways Email us publichealth.network@wales.nhs.uk Write to us Public Health Network Cymru, Public Health Wales, Floor 5, Number 2 Capital Quarter, Tyndall Street, Cardiff, CF10 4BZ Social media twitter @PHNetworkCymru facebook Publichealthnetworkcymru
Contents Covid-19 Information PHNC: Podcasts PHNC: Press Play The Grapevine PHNC: Headlines PHNC: Calendar PHNC: Topics Next Issue
COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR PROFESSIONALS
Latest information on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new disease that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Public Health Wales is working closely with the Welsh Government and the other UK public health agencies to carefully monitor the situation and implement our planned response, with measures in place to protect the health of the public. The guidance on the measures needed in response to Coronavirus changes rapidly. It’s worth always checking the latest information from Public Health Wales. The pages include a wide range of comprehensive information for public and professionals.
Public Health Network Cymru - Coronavirus (COVID-19) You can find links to a wide range of sources on Public Health Network Cymru’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) page here. Public Health Network Cymru welcomes feedback on this selection, and suggestions for additional sources that may be of interest to the public health community in Wales.
Adapting our office space in response to COVID-19 NHS Wales Informatics Service
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the way in which the NWIS estate operates, which has resulted in 95% of our staff now working remotely. We have temporarily closed two of our offices and made others ready for return, whilst limiting the numbers permitted at these sites, to essential staff and staff approved for other reasons only. Processes have been established to monitor on-site attendance, to further ensure the safety of staff and to ensure that we hold information for contact tracing should this become necessary. NWIS offices have been risk assessed and an office working arrangements standard operating procedure (Covid-19 Office Working Arrangements) was developed, to provide a framework, identifying the required office working arrangements to be adhered to in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to reduce the potential exposure of NWIS employees to coronavirus. A review of all office space has been undertaken and plans have been developed on the basis that sites will be occupied by a maximum of 15% of the usual capacity, in order to ensure that the 2-metre social distancing guidelines can be adhered with. We have introduced safety measures including COVID-19 related building notices, floor markings, signage identifying the maximum numbers permitted in each area and additional hand washing facilities. We have also provided personal protective equipment (PPE) such as disposable gloves hand sanitiser, anti-bacterial wipes and non-surgical facemasks (to be worn when entering non-NWIS premises that require this type of PPE). In order for staff to return to on-site working, they are required to sign to confirm that they have read and understood the procedures for safe working on-site at NWIS premises. To facilitate the safe return of staff to NWIS premises and to allow them to familiarise themselves with the new arrangements in place prior to their arrival on-site, a short Safety Film has been developed. The ‘New Ways of Working Group’ that was established in May, are developing longer term plans for new ways of working, which will include a review of the NWIS Estates Strategy. In the interim, and to ensure the health and well-being of staff, home working will continue until 30th September. Whilst implementing and adhering to these arrangements has been challenging, staff have adapted well. We will continue to keep abreast with government guidance and tailor our safety measures accordingly, to ensure the safety of NWIS employees.
Homeworking Tips: Guide to Effective Homeworking Medwyn Griffiths, Public Health Wales - Bangor
Although people are starting to return to their place of work, due to social distancing guidance numbers are restricted in a many workplaces. As a result a large proportion of employees are continuing to work from home at least on a part-time basis. This PowerPoint has been adapted to provide some helpful tips for colleagues continuing to work from home.
Refill Revolution
Hannah Osman, Refill Wales National Coordinator
As lockdown lifts and life returns to some semblance of normality, it’s been brilliant to see so many businesses starting to welcome back customers. The downside, as we’re becoming all too aware, has been a massive increase in disposable, takeaway packaging which has been littering our streets, parks and beaches. We don’t want to go back to ‘normal’. We certainly don’t want to backtrack on the process we’ve made in tackling single-use plastic and growing the #RefillRevolution. Instead, we need to build back better and create a new normal. We need to transition away from our single-use, disposable culture and take action to protect ourselves and our planet. Over 100 scientists released a statement confirming that single-use plastic is no safer than any other material and reusables are perfectly safe to use during COVID-19, provided they are cleaned properly. This means it’s safe for both Refill Station staff and the public to use and accept reusable bottles, cups and containers providing standard government food safety advice for health and hygiene is followed. Refill has now created guidance for Refill Stations on safely accepting reusable bottles for drinking water refills. Following these super-simple steps, we will be able to continue to power the #RefillRevolution and prevent millions of single-use plastic bottles from entering our waste stream, or worse, ending up in our oceans. Many drinking water systems may have been left stagnant due to premises either being closed or with reduced staff during the recent period of restrictions. Refill Stations reopening after a break should consult Water UK’s briefing note on recovering drinking water supplies in buildings and networks after prolonged inactivity. This provides important guidance on how to safely restore drinking water systems – a must for anyone offering refills! Stations should also follow the Welsh Government guidance covering restaurants offering takeaways/deliveries and shops and businesses that can open to the public and covering shops and business that can open to the public The following steps can be taken to minimise risk when interacting with the public (e.g. when selling food or drinks) by: • • • •
minimising contact creating physical screens cleaning the workplace providing site guidance on social distancing and hygiene
Whilst contactless options are preferable – as this means a reduced risk of contamination from surface contact – barriers, hand-washing and increased cleaning can all be effectively utilised to minimise the risks to these methods of offering water refills. The guidance sets out advice for Refill stations offering over the counter water Refills with options for contactless Refills and using a barrier. We also offer advice for Refill Stations offering customer self- Refills of water bottles and advice for Refill Stations offering water Refills from a drinking water fountain. You can find our guidance on the Refill website: https://refill.org.uk/water-refill-and-covid-guidance/ We have also launched our petition to get Reusables back on the menu. We’re calling on high-street chains and businesses across the UK to start accepting reusable coffee cups, containers and water bottles again. Please support by signing and sharing https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/help-us-get-reusables-back-onthe-menu
Invest in Nature Cymru
Latest Podcast Welcome to our new PHNC Podcast Page of the Ebulletin. Here you can listen to the the previously released Podcasts. The Latest Podcast in the series is on Learning Disabilities. If you are interested in recording a podcast with us in the future, please contact us via email: publichealth.network@wales.nhs.uk
Click to view the Sound and Vision Pages
Learning Disabilities: Multi-Sport Arts and Health: Roadshow Health Impact Assessment: WHIASU Heart Health: BHF Nutrition: Early Years with Andrea Basu International Health: Migrant Health Community Care: OP who are Neurodiverse Dementia: World Toilet Day Sustainability: Sue Toner and Bronia Bendall Love Activity, Hate Excercise Sexual Health Alcohol: Drinkwise Age Well Sun Safety: Skin Cancer Gambling: The living room
Latest Video
Welcome to Press Play, here you can get the latest PHNC videos from youtube! Our latest COVID-19 webinar featured a session from Liz Green, Programme Director for Public Health Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit, WHO Collaborating Centre on Investment for Health and Wellbeing and Laura Morgan, Public Health Practitioner. Liz and Laura discussed the findings from the recently published ‘A Health Impact Assessment of the Staying at Home and Social Distancing Policy in Wales in response to the COVID-19 pandemic’.
Click to view the Sound and Vision Pages
Beth Jones - Homelessness Dr Peter Mackie - Homelessness Emma Williams - Homelessness LD Seminar: Simon Rose and Karen Warner LD Seminar: Sam Dredge LD Seminar: Ruth Northway LD Seminar: Karen Everleigh and Hazel Powell Public Health Network Cymru in Numbers Shaping our Future: Cat Tully Shaping our Future: Sophie Howe Shaping our Future: Highlights Early Years Nutrition: Highlights Early Years Nutrition: Andrea Basu Early Years Nutrition: Judith John
The Grapevine Home Working and Wellbeing Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Wales (an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice): Home working and supporting health and wellbeing Key to the health and wellbeing of staff during the pandemic has been how to connect and create an inclusive environment for work whether at home or on site. •
HMCTS “Together whilst apart” newsletter is a new communications channel for home workers focusing on isolation and sharing useful information.
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COVID-19 Keeping Well intranet page which broadens the focus from health to wellbeing and provides guidance and information on practical issues that people are facing from leading a team remotely to staying physically and emotionally healthy.
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Webinars run with a combination of professional content and volunteers from across the organisation sharing their experiences. Topics include resilience and isolation, keeping well remotely, mindfulness, and grief and loss.
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Digital support expanded to assist those working remotely enabling them to set up virtual meetings and hearings.
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Mental Health Allies offer virtual or face to face, confidential support to individuals, raise awareness of mental health and act as a vital source of information for all. Electronic thank yous acknowledging, via the intranet, the great work done in unprecedented times. Examples include setting up virtual training across the UK and highlighting the efforts of unsung heroes who have swapped their days off or come in at short notice to cover roles.
Children in Wales and Young Wales Digital Communications Survey Children in Wales and Young Wales are currently undertaking a Digital Transformation Project to change the way that we communicate with our membership and followers. We will be reviewing all of our digital communications to ensure that the information we are sending out is relevant, useful and easily consumable. To do this, we need your input. We are running a survey that will help us gain insight into your user habits, what type of format you prefer, and what content you want to see. The survey will run until 7th September 2020. Please can you spread the word so we can get as many responses we can so we can support our membership and followers. You can access the survey by clicking here.
Out of Work Peer Mentoring Service Platfform & Barod deliver the Welsh Government’s, ESF funded Out of Work Peer Mentoring Service across Cardiff & The Vale, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr Tydfil. Although this is an into employment service we understand that people’s journeys towards this goal are not simple or quick. Our service only works with those people that have a history of substance misuse or mental ill health and our staff are all peers with lived experience. We have continued to deliver during the current pandemic and have continued to receive referrals; but we are always looking to develop our referral pathways and increase the number of people receiving our help. Project contact details are contained within the publicity materials; but if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact OOWSEmploymentSupport@platfform.org Find out more Download the referral form
Gwynedd Third Sector COVID-19 Emergency Fund Does your community need support to respond to the COVID-19 emergency? Grants up to £1,000 are available to organisations who can demonstrate working in the following areas: • • • •
Children surviving and thriving Gender justice Safe spaces Mental health matters
For more information contact: Mantell Gwynedd 01286 672626 Carys Williams: carys@mantellgwynedd.com or Arwen Evans: Arwen.evans@mantellgwynedd.com www.mantellgwynedd.com
Latest News Outdoor events to be trialled in Wales in latest easing of lockdown restrictions A limited number of small scale outdoor performances and sporting events are set to be trialled in Wales in an effort to begin a phased approach to the safe reopening of the events industry, as part of further changes to coronavirus regulations announced by First Minister Mark Drakeford. Indoor visits to care homes will also be allowed from Saturday 29 August, subject to the strict controls set out in the guidance and conditions remaining favourable. However, the First Minister will emphasise that the return of pupils to schools and colleges from 1 September is the top priority during this 21 day regulation cycle. The Welsh Government recognises the value of the events sector to Wales and how cultural, sports and business events are a vital part of the visitor economy and one of the last sectors left to re-open.
Click to view the News Pages
Future planning for Coronavirus in Wales Covid 19 Survey: Experiences of people aged 50 or over in Wales during the Covid-19 lockdown
Drawing the Word – a partnership between Literature Wales and Disability Arts Cymru COVID-19 impact on your family and community PrEP and Sexual Health in Wales
New guidance to support September schools return
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Using the Mental Impact Assessm COVID-19 pande
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Implementing the Primary Care Model for Wales Online
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19-27 Sept Great British Week of Sport
Child in the City Webinar: Making Connections in Times of Corona
National Event
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28-02 Oct Bike to School Week
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Ageing in a Digita Online
National Event
Visit www.publichealthnetwork
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25 European School Sport Day 2020 National Event
Topics Accident and Injury Prevention
Obesity
Alcohol
Oral Health
Arts and Health
Physical Activity
Brexit Health Hub
Policy
Gambling
Sexual Health
Health and Social Care
Sleeping and Health
Human Rights
Smoking
International Health
Substance Misuse
Mental Health
Sun Awareness
Noncommunicable Diseases
Violence and Abuse
Nutrition Communities
Lifestyle
Education
Poverty
Environment
Unemployment
Families and Social Care
Work
Health Inequalities
Early Years
Older People
Maternal and New Born
Children and Young People
Working age adult
Asylum Seekers
LGBT
Carers
Migrants
Ethnic Groups
Parents
Faith Groups
Learning Disabilities
Gender Gypsies Homelessness
Prisioners Veterans
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